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The Wild Party (LaChiusa Musical)
This is about the musical by Michael LaChiusa. For the other musical of the same name, see The Wild Party (Lippa Musical). The Wild Party is a stage musical based on the narrative poem by Joseph Moncure March. Cast *Toni Collette - Queenie *Mandy Patinkin - Burrs *Yancey Arias - Black *Eartha Kitt - Dolores *Marc Kudisch - Jackie *Tonya Pinkins - Kate *Norm Lewis - Eddie *Nathan Lee Graham - Phil D'Armano *Michael McElroy - Oscar D'Armano *Sally Murphy - Sally *Leah Hocking - Mae *Adam Grupper - Gold *Stuart Zagnit - Goldberg *Brooke Sunny Moriber - Nadine *Jane Summerhays - Madelaine Plot *'The Vaudeville' The company recounts the story of Queenie, a blonde who works as a showgirl in the Vaudeville, who is attracted to "violent and vicious" men. She is currently living with a man named Burrs, who works in the same vaudeville, as the act after her. His act is a minstrel show, where he performs in black face. One Sunday, Queenie wakes up restless and she and Burrs soon come to blows. To try to put less strain on their relationship (and to convince her to put a knife down), Burrs suggest they throw a huge party and invite "all the old gang". Queenie is ecstatic and they get prepared for the evening. *'Promenade of Guests' The guests soon arrive and exchange words with Burrs, and alcohol starts flowing. Queenie makes her appearance in a "new" dress, and welcomes everyone, meeting Nadine, a minor who wants to be a blonde and drink bathtub gin. Queenie takes her under her wing as she mingles with the other guests. Madelaine, an "almost famous" stripper, introduces Queenie to her new girlfriend, the catatonic morphine-addicted Sally, who she met crawling outside the theatre in a drugged stupor. Madelaine believes Sally is a "post-modernist", to which Burrs replies "in need of a post mortem". Madelaine tells Queenie of their love and of Sally's genius. Next up is Jackie, an "ambisextrous" rich kid with his eye on anybody and everybody. The incestuously-devoted D'Armono Brothers, Oscar and Phil sing a new ditty as Gold and Goldberg, two would-be producers, arrive. They are planning to move uptown, and Burrs is convinced that they want to take him. He joins in with the brothers to impress them. Queenie wonders where her friend Kate is, and Burrs expresses his dislike for her. Eddie, a successful black boxer and his white wife Mae talk of their marriage. Dolores, a faded star, hints to Burrs that she knows his secrets, and forces him to introduce her to Gold and Goldberg. The producers are fighting over their name (With Gold wanting to change Goldberg's name to "Golden" to hide their Jewish heritage) and how to become successful. Burrs introduces them to Dolores, who begins to seduce them with her feminine wiles. *'The Party' Queenie starts a dance to raise the energy, but Kate soon interrupts with her arrival. She has come with Mr. Black, an attractive gigolo. Queenie and Kate trade insults and love, telling Nadine of their double-edged friendship. Burrs and Kate do not get along, with Kate disapproving of Queenie's romantic entanglement with him, while Queenie and Black begin to feel an attraction to each other. Meanwhile, Jackie tries to separate the D'Armano brothers, flirting with Oscar. Dolores hints to Queenie about troubles in Burrs' past while Nadine sings a paean to Broadway, only to be cut off by Queenie. Queenie and Black meet up and find their attraction growing stronger. Queenie asks him to show her how he picks up ladies, and his hypothetical soon turns into a real proposition and he pulls her up to dance. Kate and Burrs notice how close Queenie and Black are becoming, and Burrs wonders about the demise of fidelity. Queenie tells Black of her troubled existence, wondering why she was born, as Burrs hypes up the party with Gin. The party quickly escalates, with everybody drinking, dancing, and arguing. Dolores warns Queenie of Burrs' first wife, who he beat to death, and Queenie escapes to the bathroom. There, she in confronted by Burrs of her entanglement with Black, and he begins to assault her. Kate barges in and saves Queenie, and Burrs furiously rejoins the party with a coked-up Jackie. Kate and Queenie argue about her relationship with Burrs, as Jackie and Oscar are found having sex in the bathroom. Oscar and Phil argue publicly, while Mae and Eddie exchange heated words. Kate warns Queenie that Burrs will kill her, and when Queenie refuses to listen, Kate jumps back into the party. Eddie and Mae soon come to blows - hitting each other, as Dolores seduces Gold and Goldberg, bringing them into the bedroom. Distraught with the state of the party, Queenie is dragged out by Black, as the party continues in full swing. Madelaine searches for Sally, and asks her to say her name. The guests all gather and culminate in an orgy as Burrs asks Kate about Black. Kate reveals that she knows Black is using her, but she is fine with it. Outside, Queenie and Black bond at the fact that they are different from the rest, wondering where they belong and what will become of them. *'After Midnight Dies' Sally, naked, carrying her clothes, reveals she can see clearly now what she and everyone else is. She finds Eddie recounting how it feels to beat someone acclaimed, but still be detested. She notices Oscar and Phil making up, and turns to find Gold and Goldberg, pants nowhere to be found, wondering what has happened to them. Dolores appears and warns them that their promise must be kept or terrible things will occur. She then sneaks into the bedroom, where Nadine has just done her first line of coke with Jackie. At Nadine's request for more, Jackie laments how he can never get enough of anything, culminating in rape. Mae hears Nadine's muffled screams and Eddie charges in and beats Jackie. Eddie goes wild, threatening everyone as Queenie and Black arrive. When Eddie charges at Queenie, Black hits him. Queenie questions Nadine on what had happened with Jackie, but she refuses to call him out, instead saying she was scared and screamed. Jackie tries to start the party up again, and takes out more cocaine. Seeing the coke, Sally goes to him, leaving Madelaine. Madelaine chases after her, but is stopped when Sally asks "Who's Sally?". The guests are told to leave by Burrs and they disappear into the background. Kate confronts Black, telling him that Queenie will choose Burrs and he will have nowhere to go. Burrs and Queenie come to blows as she reveals she knows about his wife. Queenie refuses to let Burrs make up her mind and leaves with Black. Burrs wonders how many other woman could make him feel the way she does, before concluding it is just her. Gold and Goldberg tell him they had no intention of taking him uptown with them, and he begins to put on his vaudeville makeup. Dolores recounts how she used to love the dark, but now she loves the cold hard light that spares no one. She enjoys knowing who has the stuff and who doesn't to survive. *'Finale' Queenie and Black lie in bed as Queenie wonders what it is to live in light and love. Burrs, done up in blackface, mimics the guests, before entering the bedroom. He pulls out a gun and threatens to kill Queenie. Black fights him and Burrs is shot dead and falls on the bed. Kate rushes in and hurries Black to safety. The company does the opening vaudeville, trying to lure Queenie into its revelry. Queenie tries, but soon begins to take off her makeup, the company dropping the vaudeville and joining her. Queenie is bathed in morning light. Scared, unsure but hopeful, she smiles at the dawn. Musical numbers The Vaudeville *"Queenie was a Blonde" - Company *"Marie is Tricky" - Burrs and Company *"Wild Party" - Queenie and Burrs Promenade of Guests *"Dry" - Burrs, Jackie, Madelaine, Sally, Eddie, Mae, Nadine, Brothers D’Armano and Dolores *"My Beautiful Blonde" - Brothers D'Armano *"Welcome To My Party" - Queenie *"Like Sally" - Madelaine *"Breezin’ Through Another Day" - Jackie *"Uptown" - Brothers D’Armano *"Eddie and Mae" - Eddie and Mae *"Gold and Goldberg" - Gold and Goldberg *"Moving Uptown" - Dolores The Party *"Black Bottom" - Queenie and Company *"Best Friend" - Queenie and Kate *"A Little M-M-M" - Brothers D’Armano *"Everybody Has Their Secrets" - Madelaine *"The Lights Of Broadway" - Nadine *"Tabu" - Oscar *"Taking Care of the Ladies" - Black *"Wouldn’t It Be Nice?" - Burrs *"Lowdown-Down" - Queenie *"Gin" - Burrs and Company *"Wild" - Company *"Need" - Madelaine, Company *"Black Is a Moocher" - Kate *"People Like Us" - Queenie, Black After Midnight Dies *"After Midnight Dies" - Sally *"Golden Boy" - Eddie and Brothers D’Armano *"The Movin’ Uptown Blues" - Gold and Goldberg *"The Lights of Broadway" (Reprise) - Nadine *"More" - Jackie *"Love Ain’t Nothin’/Welcome to Her Party" - Kate, Burrs *"What I Need" - Queenie *"How Many Women in the World?" - Burrs *"When It Ends" - Dolores Finale *"This is What It Is" - Queenie *"Marie Is Tricky" (Reprise) - Burrs *"How Many Women In The World" (Reprise) - Burrs *"Queenie Was A Blonde" (Reprise) - Company *"This Is What It Is" (Reprise) - Queenie, Company Wild Party, The